


you are my favorite everything

by orphan_account



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, and yeah, like super minor, there's like minor johnten, they meet in the summer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-30
Updated: 2019-01-30
Packaged: 2019-10-19 07:08:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17596724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Ten and Kun meet during the perfect summer.





	1. tastes like mangoes

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in one evening oh my gosh... I'm definitely not super happy with it but whatever
> 
> title: pink skies by lany

 

Ten had moved into the house across the street in the summer between seventh and eighth grade. Kun watched from his driveway as the white moving truck invaded the narrow lane, workers alternating between the bed of the vehicle and the house. Ten sat on the curb, pale knees catching the light, face pink from the heat.

 

Kun’s mother noticed her son staring at the spectacle across the street and suggested that he take a popsicle to the other boy. Kun had said, sure, why not, and hesitant legs traveled to the curb. He offered the popsicle, hands only shaking slightly.

 

Ten smiled at him and began to unwrap the cold treat. His teeth were magically perfect, color unnaturally white and unbelievably straight. Kun sat next to him and ran his tongue over his own teeth.

 

“What flavor’s this?”

 

Kun would later learn that Ten spoke almost exclusively in sentence fragments, too excited and eager to slow down and enunciate the entire sentence. He ended every clause he said breathless and excited.

 

“Um, mango, I think.”

 

Ten licked down the side of popsicle, tongue turning orange. “Really good. Name’s Ten, by the way.” He locked eyes with Kun who was busy biting his own grape popsicle. “Yours?”

 

“Kun.”

 

“You go to the school near here?”

 

Kun nodded. He wanted to ask if Ten would be joining his grade the next school year, if he would possibly share classes with him, if they’d walk home together, if they-

 

“Cool. I go to Springs Prep.”

 

Oh. Ten was enrolled in the expensive prep school thirty minutes away from both of their homes. Apparently, he’d gone there his entire life, and the only reason his family had moved to the neighborhood was that it was better than their previous hour long drive.

 

“Glad you live across the street,” Ten had said as their conversation steered away from school and into other topics. “Old neighborhood was full of rich old people. Not very fun.”

 

Kun had looked down at his scuffed Nikes and hid his smile. “Yeah. Me too.”

  


 

The day their respective schools had started back up again at the end of August, Kun had eaten breakfast at Ten’s house. His family loved Kun, said he was calm and polite, and never had a problem with him sleeping over almost all summer.

 

“He needs more friends like you,” Ten’s mother had whispered one evening, while Ten was washing up. “You make him less pretentious.”

 

Kun had been confused at that comment, never once seeing Ten as pretentious, or uptight. He was just Ten. Kind of goofy and lazy, but Ten.

 

That morning though, as he drained his glass of orange juice, Ten hopped down the stairs, starched burgundy uniform swishing as he moved. His hair was combed back, glasses on, spotless black Vans shuffling into the kitchen.

 

“Way to clean up,” Kun had noted, but there was something unfamiliar in the air, something he couldn’t pin down.

 

Ten winked from across the table. “Ah, you know me, just my usual stud behavior.” His mother smacked the back of his head. “Are Johnny and Taeyong still coming over to ride to school together?” He asked her.

 

“Yes, Ten, you’ve only asked about fifty times.”

 

“What’s my schedule this week?”

 

Kun’s mind short-circuited as his mother listed off a multitude of activities; soccer practice, dance practice, peer tutoring, science bowl, speech practice. Ten was booked, and booked again, no time for relaxation. It wasn’t summer anymore. Reality had hit.

 

The pair made their way to the driveway and Kun met Johnny and Taeyong. They were both freshmen already, but had told Kun that they refused to be separated from the final musketeer. Kun and Ten had a friendship, but this was a brotherhood. Where Kun had spent his summer learning Ten’s habits, his dislikes and fears, they’d spent their entire lives _knowing_. There was an obvious difference and Kun tried not to feel too put off by it.

 

While waiting for Ten’s mother to exit the house, Kun stuck around the trio, in no rush to make it to his school early.

 

“Don’t tell us you replaced us with Kun,” Johnny teased.

 

Ten punched him lightly, laughing gently. “Both of you were in Rome! You can’t be my only friends!”

 

And though Kun knew Ten hadn’t meant to say it like that, hadn’t meant to depict Kun as a convenient summer friend, nothing more than a replacement, Kun had heard it like that. And given his expression, Taeyong had too.

 

Kun glanced at his watch, mind heavy. “I’ve gotta run to school. I’ll see you guys later.” He smiled in an attempt to lift his mood.

 

Ten just waved distractedly, not bothering to say goodbye.

  


 

Ten and Kun didn’t talk for the remainder of the school year; Ten too busy with his thousand and one extracurriculars, and Kun too embarrassed that he had considered Ten his best friend for an entire summer.

 

///

 

The next time Kun had talked to Ten was well into their sophomore year, before exams. There was no awkwardness; he’d simply walked into Kun’s room and collapsed onto the bed.

 

“Should come to Prep’s winter formal.”

 

Kun looked up from his practice essay and laughed quietly. Springs Prep’s formal was notorious for being expensive, exclusive, and exaggerated. He’d rather avoid it. Besides, he’d went to homecoming just a month beforehand. One dance in one semester was enough.

 

“Oh, really? Why?”

 

Ten blinked up at him and Kun thought he’d changed a lot since eighth grade. His face had thinned out, cheeks higher, eyes less eager and more intentional. He looked away.

 

“Just want you to.”

 

He had placed his chin on Kun’s shoulder, and smiled up at him, slowly and sweetly.

 

Kun had said yes.

 

 

 

It turned out that the spectacle of the formal was not the dance itself, but the party that followed. Ten was hosting that year and Kun remembered watching his neighbor all but melt under the hand of alcohol.

 

The three musketeers had either raided their parents liquor cabinets or coerced their older siblings into buying, and soon all one hundred sophomores were cramped in Ten’s house, the stench of liquor making Kun’s stomach roll.

 

Ten found him in his bedroom, glancing across the street to his own home. He could see into his bedroom from here.

 

“Why’re you up here?” Ten laughed. He seemed to laugh more when he was drunk. “Want you to have fun.”

 

Kun shrugged his suit jacket on, tired. “I’m not having a lot of fun, Ten.”

 

Ten spread his arms out, splashing his drink on his rug. “Well duh! You’re up here, dummy!”

 

Kun didn’t offer that a response and moved to leave.

 

“No, wait! Please don’t leave! Just tell me how to make it fun,” Ten pleaded, fingernails digging into Kun’s arm. His eyes were glassy, face and neck splotchy. Seeing Ten like this would never be fun, especially because this person wasn’t even him. Not to Kun, anyway.

 

Kun gently tugged Ten’s hand away. “Don’t drink too much, okay? You have dance tomorrow afternoon.”

 

Ten scrunched his face and brought it close to Kun’s, his teeth clacking with the latter’s lips. It was painful and tasted horrid, and Kun just wanted to leave. He shoved Ten off, lips throbbing and brain splitting.

 

Ten’s eyes began to water and he moved to grab Kun again, murmuring something about this not being the plan, but Kun was already down the stairs and out the door before he could hear it all.

  


 

Kun awoke the next morning to see his phone blowing up with a multitude of notifications, all from Ten. Kun was surprised he still had his number. He moved to open them, but the memory off a drunk, teary-eyed Ten and liquor-stained lips invaded his mind and he shut his phone off.

 

He tried to ignore the weight on his chest.

 

///

 

When they were still in that sleepy summer between seventh and eighth grade, Kun had once dreamt of kissing Ten. He had tasted like mangoes.

 

///

 

“Wait, so you’re telling me that the hot dude I saw across the street is your neighbor? And you _haven’t_ kissed him yet?” Sicheng asked, hanging upside down on Kun’s couch.

 

“ _Sicheng,”_ Doyoung warned. Only Doyoung knew about the party a few months prior. Kun was too shocked and embarrassed to tell anyone else, mostly because he had broken out into sobs the moment he recounted the story.

 

“No, I haven’t,” Kun lied smoothly. “We don’t talk often.” More like Kun and Ten had taken to avoiding each other like the plague. They’d see each other in public and run away, they’d make eye contact through their bedroom windows and close the blinds, see each other in their driveway and decide not to leave the house.

 

Sicheng sat upright and grinned. “I mean, if you’re not gonna date him, I will.”

 

Doyoung launched a bag of chips at him. “Desperate’s not a good look on you.” Sicheng sneered and Kun laughed.

 

The doorbell rang and Kun hurried to open it, assuming it was the pizza. It was Ten.

 

“Hey,” He breathed out. His hair was darker and longer now, and a lone piercing dangled from his earlobe. Kun hated the erupted feeling in his chest.

 

“Do you have time to talk right now?” He asked, fingers fidgeting.

 

Kun gestured behind him, the sounds of Sicheng’s and Doyoung’s arguing loud and clear. “I have company right now, but we can watch a movie tonight and talk. If you want,” He offered. He had to stop himself from saying, _like we used to._

 

Ten nodded and waved his phone. “Just text me when.”

 

 

 

That night, Ten had decided on watching _Meet the Robinsons_ , and had laughed at Goob’s expense for twenty minutes before turning serious. Kun muted the television and turned to face him fully.

 

“What’s up?”

 

“Kun, I need to know something.”

 

Blood rushed in his ears, limbs frozen.

 

“Go ahead.”

 

“Do you like me?”

 

A thousand moments ran into him at once; Ten’s glittering smile that first day, his starched uniform in eighth grade, cracking the window in his room just to enough to hear Ten sing while he raked the leaves. Dancing with Ten at winter formal, Ten kissing him that same night, Ten’s squeal when he got a car for his birthday last month.

 

Kun looked away.

 

“That’s not an answer.”

 

“That’s because I don’t have one for you.”

 

Ten placed a tentative finger beneath his chin and turned his face towards him. His face was expressionless.

 

“Kun.”

Kun tried to calm his heart, tried to recall who Qian Kun was before Ten, tried to remember the cul-de-sac without the blinding smile.

 

Ten leaned in calmly, fingers shaking beneath Kun’s chin, and this time, there was no teeth, no alcohol, no sweaty teenagers just around the corner. Ten didn’t taste like mangoes, but coffee. And just as soon as it had started, Kun pulled away.

 

“That’s not my answer,” He rushed to say. “I don’t have an answer for you.”

 

Ten flinched and left and Kun slumped on his couch, met with the exhausted face of Goob.

 

///

 

One week later, while Kun was taking out his garbage, he saw Johnny give Ten a goodnight kiss on his porch.  He had looked away, feeling empty.

 

///

 

Junior year began to pass by in a flurry of exams, papers, and piano recitals and Kun didn’t end up seeing Ten again until their soccer teams played against each other in October. Kun didn’t actually like soccer all that much; he had only went because the captain of the team had a massive crush on him and had begged him to come. He’d went with Sicheng and Doyoung and both of his friends pointed Ten out on the field.

 

“Can’t believe you didn’t snatch him up,” Sicheng commented as Ten sprinted down the field. “He can do, like, _everything._ ”

 

Doyoung snorted. “He has a boyfriend, Sicheng. You didn’t see that tall ass guy in his Instagram post?”

 

Kun winced at the mention of Johnny. The couple was practically inseparable, travelling to school together, studying together, doing lawn work together. Kun was beginning to forget that there was even a third musketeer.

 

Sicheng waved him off. “He’s a senior, they’ll break up.” Doyoung only sighed at that.

 

Kun’s school ended up winning the game and Yuta, the captain of the team, rushed into the stands, microphone magically appearing in his hands.

 

“Back with his bullshit, I see,” Doyoung muttered as Yuta drew close to the trio.

 

“Kun!” Yuta shouted into the mic, “Will you go to homecoming with me?”

 

The spectators started cheering and chanting “Say yes!” Kun glanced down at the field to see a defeated Ten in conversation with Johnny. Well, Johnny was at least having a conversation, while Ten was looking directly at Kun. His eyes seemed to ask, _“Do you have an answer?”_

 

Kun looked away and gave Yuta the biggest smile he could manage. “Of course.”

 

The stands lit up in applause, a sweaty Yuta clutching Kun to his chest. Ten’s eyes still pierced into him.

 

Kun raised a brow saying, _“There’s my answer.”_

 

///

 

When they were freshmen, Kun had almost asked Ten to his homecoming. His courage stopped at the door, however, when he could hear a shrieking Ten yell, “I swear I don’t like Kun! He’s not even funny! Really, he’s not my type!” Two voices had laughed at that, Ten giggling in response.

 

Kun had walked back to his house, cupcakes arranged to say _HOCO?_ discarded on his kitchen table.

 

///

 

The moving truck came back that next summer, workers hauling things out of the house and onto the truck.

 

“What’s all this?”

 

Ten looked up from the curb and shielded his eyes. “Parents want a smaller house before I go to college. Bought one downtown. More taxes but less upkeep.”

 

Kun sat next to him, wishing he’d brought a popsicle. “Oh. That makes sense.”

 

This was different than how it’d been before; there were no popsicle streaked faces, or questions to ask the other. It was just choking silence and frying in the heat.

 

“Glad I met you Kun.”

 

Kun scoffed. “You make it sound like you’re dying.”

 

Ten bumped his shoulder with his own and Kun tried his best not to scream at the contact. “What is life but a series of mistakes and then death?”

 

“Make any mistakes lately?”

 

At that, Ten searched Kun’s face, scanning every inch, eyes memorizing. “Maybe a few.”

 

Johnny’s car pulled up then, and Kun dusted his jeans off. “I’ve got to practice for my spring recital right now, but if you guys need help moving anything, let me know.”

 

Ten gave a thumbs-up, eyes sad. “Got it.”

 

///

 

“Ten, why is your dresser so freaking heavy?”

 

A worker, “Did you empty this thing, kid?”

 

Thirteen year-old Ten giggled through short breaths. “Was I supposed to?”

 

///

 

_“I don’t like the new house.”_

 

“Why not?”

 

_“Too cramped.”_

 

“Is that it?”

 

_“Can’t walk over to your house either.”_

 

“Oh.”

 

_“Johnny and I broke up last week.”_

 

“Oh.”

 

_“Think you can fit me in your schedule tomorrow?”_

 

“What schedule?”

 

///

 

It was the summer before junior and senior year, and Ten was intent on eating every single mango popsicle in the box. Kun was happy to allow him to do so.

 

Because when Ten leaned in after every popsicle, lips cold and tasting like mangoes, Kun gave an answer right back.


	2. oh everything was nice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> part 2 with ten's pov... he's kinda dumb ngl

“Taeyong,” Ten breathed into the receiver of the phone. “I can’t wait for you to meet my new neighbor.”

 

Taeyoung laughed, but it was distant, all the way in Rome. “He must be really nice if you’re calling international.”

 

Ten ignored, the blush forming on his cheeks. “Yeah. He is.”

 

///

 

Kun slept soundly on the floor of Ten’s living room, sleeping bag yanked to his chin. He looked so peaceful sleeping, so nice. Ten watched for a moment before turning away. Kun was his friend. Only that.

 

///

 

“You’re an asshole, Ten,” Taeyong whispered in Ten’s ear as they made their way to the middle school and high school buildings.

 

Ten frowned. He had been exceptionally nice that morning. “What do you mean?”

 

Taeyong pulled him over to a bench and the two sat down. “You made Kun think he was your replacement friend or something.”

 

“He knows he’s not.”

 

“That’s how you made him feel, Ten. Look,” He said. “I know how you get when you like people. You act all aloof or whatever.”

 

“Aloof?”

 

Taeyong took a deep breath. “You act like you don’t care about them when you do. A lot.”

 

“But I don’t like Kun.”

 

Taeyong stood as the bell rang. “I know you don’t like telling Johnny certain stuff, but you can tell me anything. I promise.”

 

There’s nothing to tell, Ten wanted to say, but Taeyong was already on his way to his first class.

///

 

“So let me get this straight,” Ten said. “You think I should ask him to formal and then tell him I like him?”

 

Taeyong nodded, hair flopping into his eyes. He went back to his problems set, intent on solving functions.

 

“What if he says no?”

 

“What if he says yes?”

  
  


 

It had been over a year since Ten had stepped into Kun’s house, but it still smelled like Febreeze and sweets. His mother had let him in, not hiding her surprise at seeing him very well. 

 

“Oh,” She said. “It’s been awhile, Ten.”

 

Ten scratched his head and laughed, nervous. “Yeah. School is busy, ya know?”

 

She hummed and pointed to the stairs. “He’s in his room studying.”

 

Ten climbed the steps extra slow, and when he got to Kun’s room he stood in the doorway for five minutes before launching himself on the bed. Kun was too mature now, too responsible. 

 

His room was impeccable, his notes neatly organized, bed made to perfection. Ten jumping on the bed had ruined the sheets, throwing the aesthetic of the room off balance.

 

“Should go to Prep’s winter formal.”

 

“Oh really? Why?”

 

“Just want you to.”

 

He fit his head on the dip of his shoulder, heart beating out of his chest. Kun’s ears were a bright red. He smiled at him, trying to seem more sure than he felt.

 

“Okay. I’ll go.”

 

Ten had danced with Kun all night, had watched the colored lights illuminate his smile, watched him do goofy dance moves, had done them with him.

 

But then he’d gone and ruined it, had kissed Kun while he was drunk, had let him leave when there was still so much to say. 

 

Ten had stuffed himself in his closet all night, trying hard not to cry or throw up. Though he never vomited, he sobbed all night.

 

Taeyong found him around two in the morning and ushered him into bed. He whispered sweet phrases, reassuring that everything would be fine, that Kun wouldn’t hate him, that he wasn’t an idiot.

 

When Kun didn’t answer any of his calls or messages, he felt like one anyway.

 

///

 

**[MAR26, 2:15 P.M.]**

**_Johnny_ **

_ I’m too nervous to tell you this in person but _

_ I really really like you  _

_ You don’t have to give me an answer right now _

_ I’ll wait _

_ I promise _

 

///

 

The entire drive to Johnny’s house, the only words Ten could hear were:  _ “I don’t have an answer for you.” _

 

He pressed down on the gas pedal and by morning, he and Johnny were official.

 

///

 

“What would you do if someone confessed to you?”

 

“I don’t know, we’re thirteen, Ten.”

 

“I’d wanna know why they like me. Can’t tell me why, just reject them.”

 

“That sounds smart.”

 

///

 

“Ten, I’m trying to understand you right now,” Johnny said. His car was still parked in the lot of the school though everyone else had left. “You’re upset and I need to know why.”

 

Before Ten could stomp it out, the image of Kun clutching onto Nakamoto Yuta for dear life danced around his head. He closed his eyes and laid his head on the window.

 

“Just take me home,” He whispered. “Don’t feel like arguing today. Please.”

 

Johnny pulled out of the lot, and a new image appeared in his head. A blushing Kun right after he’d kissed him. His eyes flew open and he grabbed Johnny’s hand in apology. 

 

///

 

“Johnny,” Ten started while packing his books into boxes. “Why do you like me?”

 

Johnny paused from where he had arranging Ten’s shoes into containers. “What do you mean?”

 

“I mean what I said.”

 

Johnny sighed and sat on the sheet-less mattress, still holding one of Ten’s old Vans. “I don’t know. I just do.”

 

“I hope you know that’s not a great answer.”

 

Johnny dropped the shoe. “Jesus, Ten, what do you want me to say?”

 

“I think we should break up.”

 

Johnny left after that, but not before collecting all of his belongings. Ten tried to make himself feel bad about the situation, but he knew they’d always be the three musketeers. 

 

Kun, however, wouldn’t always be there.

 

///

“Kun.”

 

“Hmm.”

 

“I wanna live in this house, in this summer, forever. You’ll have to be here too, you know.”

 

“Hmm.” Ten glanced at the sleeping form of Kun, not even listening. Maybe they shouldn’t have played outside all day. 

 

“I really just want you here.”

 

Summer slipped away that next week.

 

///

 

Ten climbed the steps to Kun’s porch, box of popsicles freezing his fingertips. He opened the door, face bright, and they sat outside in silence, content with the chill from the sweets.

 

“Hey, Kun.”

 

“Yep.”

 

“Why do you like me?”

 

Kun licked the last bit of his popsicle away and tossed the stick by his foot. His mouth was purple now. He took Ten’s hand and kissed the back, leaving a grape-flavored stain.

 

“Because you’ve been on my mind since I was thirteen. A constant loop of just you, on repeat. We didn’t talk for months at a time, and you were there, orbiting all the time.”

 

Ten looked down at their locked hands and realized this was what thirteen year-old Ten meant when he had called him nice. The coolness of his skin, his patience, his kindness, his ability to turn Ten into an emotional mess for four years. It was all so  _ nice.  _

 

Ten pressed an orange tinted kiss to Kun’s cheek. “Wanna stay in this summer with you forever.”

  
Kun giggled softly and leaned in, and  _ gosh _ , it was nice.

**Author's Note:**

> EDIT: I actually won't be posting anymore fics. I plan to be really busy in the upcoming months and it doesn't look like it'll slow down after that!! thank you reading this and any other of my works and please, please keep supporting nct and wayv!!


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